Tab assembly for articles made of synthetic resins and the like



Dec. 15, 1959 B. THIEBAULT 2,91

TAB ASSEMBLY FOR ARTICLES MADE OF SYNTHETIC RESINS AND THE LIKE FiledJuly 16, 1956 "Inf H United States Patent TAB ASSEMBLY FOR ARTICLES MADEOF SYNTHETIC RESINS AlQD THE LIKE Bernard Thiebault, Montmorency,France, assignor to Societe dExploitation des Plastiques, Gennevilllers,France, a French company Application July 16, 1956, Serial No. 598,036Claims priority, application France December 2, 1955 3 Claims. (Cl.24-265) This invention relates to an improved tab assembly of the typeused for attachment purposes on various articles, such as respirators,helmets, coat pockets, briefcases, garters, and tlg like, and which isparticularly, although not exclusively, useful in connection with sucharticles when made of synthetic resins, for example, polyvinyl chloridecompositions.

It has been customary in the textile arts toemploy strips, tabs, tags orwebs of flexible or elastic material, secured to a base element by meansof a rivet made of metal or other rigid substance, extending through thebase element and the tab or strip, generally through a restrictedaperture formed in the latter and which is distended by the projectionof the rivet therethrough. The rivet is formed with an enlargement orhead for retaining the tab in position. In many cases a safety flap orretainer member is provided having its opposite ends transversed by therivet on opposite sides of the tab, so as to prevent accidentalwithdrawal of the tab from the rivet when a strong pull is exerted onthe tab.

It is the general object of the invention to provide an improved tabassembly of this general kind. A more specific object is to provide animproved tab assembly in connection with a base element made ofsynthetic resin sheet material. In connection with such synthetic resinsheet materials the use of conventional rivets is objectionable sincethe insertion thereof is liable to damage the material and, moreover,the resulting assembly is a composite one in which many of the benefitsderivable from the resin sheet material, such as resistance to chemicalagents, are impaired through the presence of a metallic rivet.Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a unitaryassembly of the type described which will retain the above mentioneddesirable characteristics of the resin sheet material from which thebase material, retainer flap member and/ or tab are all made.

In accordance with an aspect of the invention, the improved tab assemblycomprises a headed pin and a retainer flap both made of a weldablematerial, such as a thermoplastic resin which preferably is similar tothe material from which the base element is made, the headed pin andflap being secured to the base element by a welding or fusing operationso as to constitute a. homogeneous unit.

The above, and other objects, features and advantages of the inventionwill be apparent in the following description which is to be read inconnection with the accompanying drawings illustrating an embodiment ofthe invention, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the assembly prior to the insertion ofthe tab and to the folding of the retainer flap thereover;

Fig. 2 shows the completed assembly; and

Fig. 3 is a simplified sectional view illustrating a process of makingan assembly according to the invention.

As illustrated, a tab 1 which may be made of any desired flexible orelastic material, for example, a rubber band, is to be removablyattached to a base element 2 made of a synthetic resin sheet material,such as polyvinyl chloride resin. The tab 1 is formed with a small hole3 which is capable of being distended to permit forcing through it of apin 4 having an enlarged, for example, flared head. The pin 4 projectsfrom the base element 2 and is made of a similar material. A retainerflap 5, made from the same material as the base element 2 and the pin 4,has one end portion bonded, on one side, to the base element 2 and, onthe other side, to the end face of pin 4. The hole 3 of the tab 1 isthen passed around the pin 4 over the bonded end of flap 5, and finallythe other or free end part 5' of the flap is folded over and the pin 4is inserted in the perforation 6 at the free end of the flap with thelatter lying over the upper surface of the tab 1, as is clearly apparentfrom Fig. 2. With this arrangement withdrawal of the tab 1 by a pullingforce exerted in the direction indicated by the arrow F, is prevented.

In accordance with this invention, the base element 2, pin 4 and flap 5are bonded together by a suitable welding, fusing or other bondingoperation as permitted by the characteristics of the material formingthese elements.

Thus, as illustrated in Fig. 3, a heating electrode 7 of appropriateshape and having a recess in its lower end surface, as shown, forreceiving the enlarged head of the pin 4, may be applied vertically fromabove the assembly, that is, in a direction perpendicular to the planeof the base element 2. As shown, the electrode includes active surfaceportions adapted to be applied against the upper surface of the pin head4 and the retainer flap 5, so as to press both these elements intoengagement with the upper surface of the base element 2, with the undersurface of the latter being placed upon a suitable backing surface 8.Heating of the electrode 7 will thus serve to bond the pin 4 to flap 5and the flap to the base element 2, thereby providing a strong unitaryassembly which will retain all the inherent advantageous characteristicsof the constituent sheet material, including resistance to chemicalagents, washability, freedom from hard cutting parts, and the like incontrast with What is obtained when a metal pivot pin or rivet is used.

The elastic strip 1 may be readily removed for example, for replacement,by first detaching the free, apertured end of flap 5 from the pin, andthen distending the apertured end of the tab 1 to withdraw it fromaround the pin 4. Experience has shown that respirator masks made frompolyvinyl chloride material are usually longer-lived than the elasticstrips used to attach such masks, so that, if the described arrangementis used to connect each strip to the mask, the fact that the tab orstrip 1 is readily detachable is an appreciable advantage.

What I claimis:

1. In an assembly of the type described, a base element of bondableplastic sheet material, a retainer flap member of bondable plasticmaterial having an end portion bonded to said base element on one sideof said end portion, a pin of bondable plastic material having an endbonded to said end portion of the flap member on the opposite side ofthe latter so that said base element, flap member and pin are solidlyjoined together to form a homogeneous assembly, said pin having anenlarged other end, said flap member having a perforation in itsopposite end adapted to be passed over said enlarged end of the pin, anda flexible tab having an end with a hole therein adapted to receive saidpin prior to the insertion of the latter in said perforation of the flapmember so that said tab is removably retained by said flap member onsaid pin.

2. The assembly claimed in claim 1, wherein said flap member and saidpin are made of polyvinyl chloride base material.

3. The assembly claimed in claim 1, wherein said base element, said flapmember and said pin are made of polyvinyl chloride base material.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS316,667 Shannon Apr. 28, 1885 4 \1 Detrick Dec. 6, 1887 Lambert May 19,1891 Dover May 6, 1902 Harper July 15, 1919 Matthews Jan. 25, 1921Fleischer Sept. 8, 1936 Gray July 21, 1955

